A Debt-free College Pathway for Bowie Students Right Here at Home

By Chris Motz

Chief Partnerships Officer and Vice President, Global Workforce Solutions, University of Maryland Global Campus

The cost of college continues to rise, and for many families in Bowie and across Prince George’s County, the financial barrier can seem insurmountable. But an increasingly popular scholarship program is changing that reality for high-achieving local high school students. Through an innovative partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS), Prince George’s Community College (PGCC), and University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), the 3D Scholars Program offers a structured pathway leading to a bachelor’s degree for $10,000 or less. Students who are Pell-eligible can actually graduate with no out-of-pocket cost.

It is a life-transforming opportunity, and Bowie families should be aware, because students from their own neighborhoods are already benefiting.

A Clear, Affordable Pathway

The idea behind the 3D Scholars Program is simple: when cost barriers are removed, students can focus on learning, completing their degrees, and preparing to enter the workforce.

Through a combination of PGCPS sponsorship, the PGCC Promise Scholarship, and UMGC’s commitment to affordability, motivated students can begin their college studies while still in high school, earn their associate degree at or shortly after graduating, and transfer seamlessly to a bachelor’s degree program at UMGC.

How It Works

Students in eighth grade apply to a lottery for a ninth-grade start. They begin taking dual-enrollment courses through PGCC while still in high school, complete a two-year degree, and transfer to UMGC, where they can pursue a bachelor’s in high-demand enrollment courses at PGCC with in-demand fields such as fields like cybersecurity, business administration, and criminal justice.

The structure makes the model especially powerful. By staying on a defined path, supported by faculty and counselors, families gain predictability, and students gain momentum. They can enter the workforce ahead of their peers or—because they have little or no debt—pursue internships or graduate studies without the financial pressures that too often limit their options.

High Demand, High Achievement

Now in its 10th year, the program continues to grow in popularity, with hundreds of students applying annually for fewer than 60 seats. Seven students from the Bowie area—including Old Bowie, Mitchellville, and Woodmore—have been completing a bachelor’s degree just a year after finishing high school.

Their achievements demonstrate what is possible when young people are given a clear, supported, and affordable path to success. They go on to enter growing industries, build professional networks, and contribute to the county and state workforce, all without the specter of debt clouding their early careers.

These stories aren’t hypothetical; they are happening right here in Bowie.

Expanding Opportunity Through Flexibility

While the core and pathway remain the centerpiece of the program, the partner institutions continue to explore ways to expand opportunity. Proposed enhancements include flexible options for those who may need additional academic support, new routes for dual-enrollment students who were not selected in the initial lottery, and earlier engagement with students in grades 10 and 11 to help them build the skills they need for college-level work.

A celebratory 3D Scholars Signing Day is also being explored, giving families and the broader community an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the students who commit to the program and take their first steps on this accelerated educational journey.

These improvements reflect a simple principle: when students encounter obstacles, the response should be support and flexibility, not exclusion.

An Investment in Prince George’s County

Prince George’s County is home to some of Maryland’s most ambitious, determined students. But ambition alone may not be enough to overcome the rising cost of college. Programs like 3D Scholars show what is possible when institutions work together with intention and a shared commitment to expanding opportunity.

Students thrive. Families gain stability. Communities prosper, benefiting from a well-prepared workforce.

For Bowie families looking ahead to the next step in their children’s education, the 3D Scholars Program offers something rare: a proven, potentially debt-free path to a bachelor’s degree, right here at home.